Method of manufacturing wigs

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a method of rendering natural wool fibers into a formable condition and also relates to a wig wherein the simulated hair is formed by the method of this invention. The method resides in he application of dry heat, such as steam, to natural wool fibers, the heat being applied at a temperature of at least 50*C for a period of at least 30 seconds. The process renders the fibers formable and the simulated hair of a wig, of the treated fibers, is able to retain springiness and the tendency to curl and is able to be set into any number of different forms or styles any number of times without the use of usual setting and styling aids.

United'States Patent 1191 Mason 1March 20, 1973 METHOD OF MANUFACTURING WIGS [75] inventor: Leonie Kathleen Christchurch, New Zealand 22 Filed: Oct.14,1970

21 Appl.No.: 80,770

Mason,

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 16, 1970 New Zealand ..l60847 [52] US. Cl "132/7 [51] Int. Cl. ..A45d 7/02 [58] Field of Search ..132/5356, 7, 5, 132/36 AA [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,474,767 10/1969 Ito ..132/53 1,675,116 6/1928 Lewis 3,550,161 12/1970 Orozco .1: ..132/53 170,497 11/1875 Smith 1 32/53 260,484 7/1882 Leonard ..l32/53 1,504,567 8/ 1924 MacDonald et a1. ..132/36 AA Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant ExaminerGregory E. McNeil] Attorney-James M. I-leilman and Hellman & Heilman [5 7] ABSTRACT This invention relates to a method of rendering natural wool fibers into a formable condition and also relates to a wig wherein the simulated hair is formed by the method of this invention. The method resides in he application of dry heat, such as steam, to natural wool fibers, the heat being applied at a temperature of at least 50C for a period of at least 30 seconds. The process renders the fibers formable and the simulated hair of a wig, of the treated fibers, is able to retain springiness and the tendency to curl and is able to be set into any number of different forms or styles any number of times without the use of usual setting and styling aids.

6 Claims, No Drawings METHOD OF MANUFACTURING WIGS This invention relates to wigs in which the simulated hair is made from natural wool fiber, and also relates to a method of manufacturing same whereby the said fiber are treated so as to be formable, before thefibersare attached to the wig base.

Hitherto, wigs have been manufactured from natural wool fibers, but in all cases the fibers have been set or formed with a curl or wave after the fibers have been attached to the wig base.

An object of this invention is to provide an economic method of providing wigs whereby fibers are set or formed in a desired shape, for example with a curl or wave, before the fibers are attached to the wig base.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a wig with fibers which are capable of being combed either forwardly or backwardly from the crown of the wig base thus enabling the fibers to be styled or restyled in any one of a number of styles in which the fibers are combed forwardly or in any one of a number of styles in which the fibers are combed backwardly. In wigs made from fibers other than wool, the direction in which the fibers are capable of being combed or brushed is dependent on the direction in which the fibers are secured'to the wig base, for example, if the fibers have been secured forwardly, the fibers will .lie forwardly and cannot be combed backwardly; and alternatively, if the fibers are secured so that they are lying backwardly from the base, they cannot be combed forwardly.

Other advantages of the invention are enumerated below:

l. The wool fibers are resilient yet soft, which pro- I pertiespermit the fibers to be styled or restyled easily by merely combing or brushing the fibers in any desired direction.

2. The wig is light in weight and therefore comfortable when worn on the head.

3. Due to the formed resilience of the fibers, the form of the simulated hair is uneffected by humidity and the fibers thereby retain their setting even in wet conditions.

According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a method of rendering natural fibers, such as wool, into a formable condition by the application of heat in excess of 50C for a period of time in excess of 30 seconds.

According to a further aspect of this invention, there is provided a method of producing a wig comprising the steps of taking at least one natural wool fiber, treating it according to the above stated method of manufacture, and thereafter applying it to a wig base.

I According to yet a further aspect of this invention there is provided a wig formed by the method of either one of the two methods hereinbefore defined.

In a preferred form of the invention, the natural wool fibers are combed and formed into continuous woollen tops which are then dyed in colors resembling that of human hair. Once the dyingv process has been completed, the continuous woollen top is then broken down into the individual fiber lengths by withdrawing said lengths of fiber from the end of the top. As the lengths of fiber are being progressively withdrawn, they are placed parallelly side-by-side in juxtaposition in readiness for being stitched or locked together in a sewing machine. The positioned lengths of fiber are then laterally to the line of stitching. The sewing machine is of the type which stitches two rows of stitching simultaneously. The fibers are then folded between the parallel rows of stitching then stitched. again. The above described process is known in the wig trade as wefting.

A length of this wefted wool is then wound circumferentially on a round cross-section wooden former. The former, for example, may be a straight length of three-eighths inch diameter wooden doweling and the wefted strip of wool may be wound along its length with the fibers disposed laterally to the axis of the doweling. The former with the wefted strips of wool wound thereon is then placed in a heat chamber and subjected to superheated steam at a temperature in excess of 50C for a period of time in excess of 30 seconds. The former and weft thereon is then removed from the heat chamber and then the wefted strip of wool is then removed from the former. In this condition, the fibers are set with a permanent curl and are now ready for securement to the wig base. The permanently curled wefted wool is then attached in rows to the wig base by stitching in the same manner as conventional wigs are manufactured.

In one preferred form of the invention the natural wool fibers are subject to super heated steam at a temperature of approximately C for approximately 20 minutes.

The treatment of the natural wool fibers by the above method renders the natural wool fibers formable, into any number of different styles and the term formable is hereinafter defined as meaning that the simulated hair or natural wool fibers retain a springiness or tendency to curl which enable them to be set into any number of different forms or styles, any number of different times without the use of usual setting and styling aids, such as those that are required for setting normal hair and most wigs. With a wig such as that according to the present invention, simulated hair need only be brushed or combed out of one style and into another. This change in form may take place any number of different times.

It will be seen from the above description that the invention provides an improved wig and method of manufacturing same.

I claim:

1. Method for producing a wig comprising the steps of taking a wig base and at least one natural wool fiber, treating it with superheated steam at l 20-l40C. for l530 minutes, and thereafter applying the wool fiber to a wig base.

2. Method of manufacturing a high quality resilient and soft wig from natural woolfiber which comprises combing natural wool fibers into a woolen top, dying the top into the desired shade, then breaking down the top by withdrawing individual fiber lengths from' the end of said top, placing the individual fibers in parallel, side by side, arrangement in juxtaposition and locking the fibers together by sewing, then placing fibers with lengths disposed laterally to the line of stitching and stitching two rows simultaneously, then folding said fibers between the parallel rows and restitching, winding the stitched fibers circumferentially about a cylindrical former, subjecting said fibers on said former to dry heat at a temperature in the range from 50 to about perature is about 130C. and said time period is about minutes.

4. Method as defined by claim 3 wherein the diameter of said former is about three-fourth inch.

5. Method as defined by claim 2 wherein superheated steam is utilized to secure said temperature.

6. Method as defined by claim 2 wherein said dry heat is secured by superheated steam at a temperature in the range from about C. to C., and said time period is in the range from about 15 to 30 minutes. 

2. Method of manufacturing a high quality resilient and soft wig from natural wool fiber which comprises combing natural wool fibers into a woolen top, dying the top into the desired shade, then breaking down the top by withdrawing individual fiber lengths from the end of said top, placing the individual fibers in parallel, side by side, arrangement in juxtaposition and locking the fibers together by sewing, then placing fibers with lengths disposed laterally to the line of stitching and stitching two rows simultaneously, then folding said fibers between the parallel rows and restitching, winding the stitched fibers circumferentially about a cylindrical former, subjecting said fibers on said former to dry heat at a temperature in the range from 50 to about 200*C. for a time period of 30 seconds to about 30 minutes, thereafter removing said fibers from said former, setting the fibers with a permanent curl and then securing said curled fibers to a wig base.
 3. Method as defined by claim 2 wherein said temperature is about 130*C. and said time period is about 20 minutes.
 4. Method as defined by claim 3 wherein the diameter of said former is about three-fourth inch.
 5. Method as defined by claim 2 wherein superheated steam is utilized to secure said temperature.
 6. Method as defined by claim 2 wherein said dry heat is secured by superheated steam at a temperature in the range from about 120*C. to 140*C., and said time period is in the range from about 15 to 30 minutes. 